When our daughter and son-in-law left for Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia to serve two years as Peace Corps volunteers, we gathered to share a benediction of sorts (see page 12). It seemed appropriate that we gather around the kitchen table and celebrate the Lord's Supper. They'd both been baptized and confirmed in Lutheran congregations, had met at Concordia College, Moorhead, Minn., and were married at Our Savior Lutheran Church, Circle Pines, Minn.

The Lord's Supper is a grace-filled celebration centered in the real presence of Jesus. My wife, Linda, and I wanted to remind Erik and Shana of God's ever-present grace as they serve in a different culture, surrounded by a diversity of 75 percent Muslim, 20 percent Eastern Orthodox, 5 percent everything else and perhaps two Lutherans. God's grace is not hindered by minority status, numbers or traditions. "God so loved the world ...."

We gave them three books as written expressions of God's grace. The first was a new leather-bound New Revised Standard Version Bible with concordance. The second was the Lutheran Book of Worship I received when the book came out in the 1970s. The third was a book of meditations on the writings of German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

As I gave them the books, I placed the Bible on the table first with the words: "The word is the rock, the baseline, the foundation of Christ and faith."

I placed the LBW on the Bible with the words: "Out of the word comes the church through which we are connected and discipled in Christ."

I placed the Bonhoeffer book atop the LBW with the words: "Out of the word through the church you are empowered and called to give witness to Jesus' ethic in the world."

Each book was unique yet connected by a holy process of liberation.

In presenting these gifts I was reminded of a comment by a Namibian pastor: "To be part of a big family is the only way to be safe in an unsafe world." And, to paraphrase Bonhoeffer, I thought of this comment: "We cannot experience the reality of God without the reality of the world, nor the reality of the world without the reality of God."

Finally I thought of the words of the hymn "God's Word Is Our Great Heritage" (LBW, 239).

We prayed. We cried. We embraced. We said in hope, "See you next summer."

Given for you, Erik and Shana. Be strong. Press on.

Material for "My View" should be no longer than 400 words. Readers may submit opinions on a current societal event or issue or on issues in the life of this church. These reader viewpoints do not necessarily reflect the views of The Lutheran or the positions of the ELCA. Send your views to "My View," The Lutheran, 8765 W. Higgins Rd., Chicago, IL 60631-4183; Fax (773) 380-2751; e-mail: lutheran@elca.org.

We wanted to remind Erik and Shana of God's ever-present grace

Letnes is pastor of Cross of Glory Lutheran Church, Denver.

Copyright Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Jan 2004

Some postings on Peace Corps Online are provided to the individual members of this group without permission of the copyright owner for the non-profit purposes of criticism, comment, education, scholarship, and research under the "Fair Use" provisions of U.S. Government copyright laws and they may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner. Peace Corps Online does not vouch for the accuracy of the content of the postings, which is the sole responsibility of the copyright holder.

Story Source: The Lutheran

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Kyrgyzstan; Faith

PCOL948153

.

Add a Message

This is a public posting area. Enter your username and password if you have an account. Otherwise, enter your full name as your username and leave the password blank. Your e-mail address is optional.